Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: Washington Congressional Seats
November 2, 2012
By Ballotpedia's Congressional team
| Washington’s Congressional Elections in 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate Election? | U.S. House seats | Possible competitive races? | |
| Yes | 10 | 1 | |
OLYMPIA: Washington: There are 10 U.S. House seats and 1 U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in Washington this year. Heading into general election on November 6, 2012, 100% of the congressional races are contested, meaning there are at least two candidates running in each of the 10 races. 7 incumbents are running for re-election to the House.
U.S. Senate
Incumbent U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D) is running for re-election in 2012. She faces Republican Michael Baumgartner on November 6, 2012.[1] The race is considered competitive and is listed as Solid Democrat according to a Cook Political Report Race Rating from October 4, 2012.[2]
U.S. House
Heading into the November 6 election, the Democratic Party holds 5 seats, while the Republican Party holds 4 in Washington. One district is currently vacant as it was created by redistricting. Of the 20 possible major party primaries (2 parties, 10 seats), 14 (70%) were contested, well above the national average. Washington uses the top-2 primary system, which means there can only be a maximum of two candidates on the general election ballot for each race.
Here are some highlights for the races on November 6:
- In the open 6th district seat, State Senator Derek Kilmer (D) faces Republican Bill Driscoll.[3]
- In the newly formed 10th district, former state House Majority Leader Denny Heck (D) faces Republican Richard Muri in the general election.[3]
Washington is a mail in ballot state and does not have polling places. County election officials provide information about voting centers/election offices.[4] See also: State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2012)
Here is a complete list of U.S. Senate and House candidates appearing on the general election ballot in Washington:
Candidates
Senate
| State | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| Washington Class 1 Senate seat |  Maria Cantwell Michael Baumgartner |
Maria Cantwell | Pending | Pending |
House
| District | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| 1st | Suzan DelBene John Koster |
Jay Inslee | Pending | Pending |
| 2nd | Rick Larsen Dan Matthews |
Rick Larsen | Pending | Pending |
| 3rd | Jon T. Haugen Jaime Herrera Beutler |
Jaime Herrera Beutler | Pending | Pending |
| 4th | Mary Baechler Doc Hastings |
Doc Hastings | Pending | Pending |
| 5th | Rich Cowan Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
Cathy McMorris Rodgers | Pending | Pending |
| 6th | Derek Kilmer Bill Driscoll |
Norm Dicks | Pending | Pending |
| 7th | Jim McDermott Ron Bemis |
Jim McDermott | Pending | Pending |
| 8th | Karen Porterfield Dave Reichert |
Dave Reichert | Pending | Pending |
| 9th | Adam Smith James Postma |
Adam Smith | Pending | Pending |
| 10th | Denny Heck Richard Muri |
N/A | Pending | Pending |
Partisan breakdown by district
| Members of the U.S. House from Washington -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 5 | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 4 | 4 | |
| Total | 9 | 10 | |
Comparison of new and old redistricting maps
Articles
- 2012 elections preview: Washington voters to select winners in congressional, legislative primaries August 6
- 2012 elections review: Washington primary results still trickling in August 8
See also
- Ballotpedia's 2012 General Election Preview Articles: Washington State Legislature
- Ballotpedia:2012 general election preview articles
- November 6, 2012 election results
- United States Congressional election results, 2012
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
- Washington's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 4th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 5th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 6th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 7th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 8th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 9th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington's 10th Congressional District elections, 2012
- Washington elections, 2012
- National contested primary average during the 2012 U.S. congressional elections
Footnotes
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